Iowa City High appears to be on the rebound in girls’ basketball

Lynsey Barnard shuffled into her home after 11 p.m. Tuesday, tired from a long, late bus ride, yet content with a winning outcome.

Her cell phone buzzed. It was Tessa Driscoll, one of her top players.

“She texted, ‘Man, if we can keep playing like this, we have so much potential,’” Barnard relayed.

Year 2 as the Iowa City High girls’ head basketball coach has gone much more smoothly for Barnard. Maybe it’s because she thinks she is forced to coach less.

“I don’t have to talk as much,” she said. “The players are talking to each other. They’re teaching each other.”

Wins over previously unbeaten Marion (65-47, Saturday) and Dubuque Senior (74-31, Tuesday) have pushed the Little Hawks back to break-even at 3-3, including a 2-1 mark in the Mississippi Valley Conference.

“It’s a good start; we’re starting to piece it together,” said Barnard, who was elevated to the head position after Bill McTaggart retired in 2022.

“Offseason was the biggest thing. We know Augie (Palmer) better now. We have a great bunch of freshmen. I feel more comfortable in this role. I think we’ve figured some things out dealing with adjustments and in practice.”

Four players were in double figures Tuesday, and that kind of balance has been the theme through six games.

Palmer, a junior, is leading the Little Hawks at 14.3 points per game, followed by Driscoll, a sophomore, at 13.2 ppg. Then it’s freshmen Kaitlin Loria (11.8) and Hattie Galloway (7.8) and junior Emmy McComas (6.7).

What you don’t see in this rotation is a senior. So it’s safe to say that after a down year in 2022-23 (6-16 overall, 4-10 MVC), the Little Hawks are ascendant again.

“We’re very process-driven, so the results will take care of themselves,” Barnard said. “Potential is a scary word. What we accomplish, that’s up to the players. They like each other, and they trust each other.”

The Little Hawks face both Iowa City rivals before Christmas (home against Liberty on Friday, then at Iowa City West one week later), plus a home date Tuesday against Cedar Rapids Prairie.

A marathon at Marion

Marion bounced back from that Saturday loss to City High, but it took 44 minutes of game time Tuesday.

The Wolves (7-1) outlasted Benton Community in triple overtime, 71-69.

Junior Madeline Pavelka led the Wolves with 24 points. Emma Townsley scored 26 for the Bobcats (5-2).

It was tied at 51-51 at the end of regulation, 56-56 after the first overtime and 60-60 after the second.

Upper Iowa showdown

One of four remaining area unbeatens, North Fayette Valley (8-0 overall, 6-0 Upper Iowa Conference) faces its toughest challenge to date, at MFL MarMac (5-2, 5-0) on Friday.

The TigerHawks are allowing 31.8 points per game, and are getting excellent all-around play from junior guard Kaelyn Elsbernd, who leads the UIC in scoring (15.5 points per game) assists (4.4 per game) and steals (5.5).

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com